Thursday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time
(Joshua 3:7-10a.11.13-17; Matthew 18:21-19:1)
A commercial for a bank describes a scene of near panic
turned into tranquility. A person is
walking in the woods when she discovers that she has lost her wallet with
credit cards. The announcer advises that
she do first things first. She is to
take a deep breath, lock her credit service with her phone, and then get back
to her walk with peace of mind. It is
not bad advice. God similarly tells
Joshua in today’s first reading to meet his challenge step-by-step.
The Israelites have a crisis. They are at the Jordan River with hundreds of
thousands of people and untold livestock.
How will they cross to occupy the Promised Land? God tells Joshua that He will make him as
great as Moses who turned the sea into dry land. He is to have the priests carrying the Ark of
the Covenant wade into the water. When
they do so, the river begins to dry up. As
easy as a cell phone can lock a credit account, the waters from upstream solidify
allowing everyone to cross over.
God is also ready to help us. When we meet a crisis, rather than fret we
should trust in him. We are to calm
ourselves, say a prayer, and then do what seems most prudent. We can count on God to turn the threatening
situation into something good.
